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June 5, 2015

AMISOM Head of Mission and EU Partners visit Beled Weyne

The Special Representative of the AU for Somalia and Head of AMISOM, Ambassador Maman Sidikou and the European Union Special Envoy for Somalia, Michele Cervone d’Urso, visited Ethiopian and Djibouti troops with AMISOM in Belet Weyne on Wednesday (June 3). They also held discussions with the AMISOM sector commanders, the Hiiraan Regional Administration, members of the business fraternity, community elders, Hiiraan women groups as well as local NGOs. Also in the delegation were the Djibouti Ambassador to Somalia, and AMISOM’s Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support.

The visit was intended to identify the challenges faced by the AMISOM troops in the sector and see what support AMISOM and EU can provide in terms of logistics, equipment and vehicle needs. Ambassador Maman Sidikou said “Beled Weyne is a model in a sense, because here Djibouti and Ethiopia are putting their strength and intelligence together to not only fight and defeat the enemy (Al-Shabaab) but also support the capacity development of the Somali National Army. SNA.”

The EU Special envoy Ambassador d’Urso said the visit was crucial in identifying ways through which AMISOM troops and the Somali people in Beled Weyne could be further supported. He said the visit was a joint mission between the European Union and AMISOM, allowing them to take stock of the needs of the population and see where they could be helped. Ambassador d’Urso added: “It is also an opportunity to see what stage we are with the AMISOM offensive in Sector 4. AMISOM is doing a great job and it is important to show solidarity with the Djiboutian and the Ethiopian Contingents” Above all, he said, “we want to make a difference in the lives of the population.”
Source - MoFA